Electromagnetic relay

Abstract

This electromagnetic relay comprises a contact device, a drive device, a magnet part, and an insulating part. The contact device connects and disconnects an electric path. The drive device has a coil that drives the contact device, and a first yoke part that amplifies a magnetic flux of the coil. The magnet part has: a permanent magnet that is disposed between the contact device and the coil and that extends an arc generated when the electric path is disconnected to extinguish the arc; and a second yoke part that is disposed between the coil and the permanent magnet and that disconnects a magnetic flux from the permanent magnet toward the coil. The insulating part is disposed between the contact device and the permanent magnet.

Description

Electromagnetic relay

[0001] The present invention relates to an electromagnetic relay.

[0002] In the electromagnetic relay described in Patent Document 1, a permanent magnet is disposed between an electromagnet portion which is a driving device and a contact device (fixed terminal and movable terminal). The permanent magnet penetrates an insulating cover of an insulating portion and protrudes toward the fixed terminal side of the contact device while being in contact with an armature of the electromagnet portion. By this permanent magnet, an arc is extended and extinguished.

[0003] The armature is disposed between the permanent magnet of the magnet portion and the coil of the driving device. The movable terminal and the pole piece are supported so as to be swingable with respect to the armature, and are disposed between the permanent magnet of the magnet portion and the fixed terminal of the contact device. The movable terminal and the pole piece are attracted and held by the permanent magnet of the magnet portion.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-212376

[0005] In recent years, there may be a demand for dealing with high-capacity loads (high-voltage loads and high-current loads) for electromagnetic relays. When realizing this demand, in order to extinguish an arc generated at the time of interrupting a high-capacity load by extending the arc, a permanent magnet is disposed near the contact device. Here, when the permanent magnet is disposed around (outside) the contact device, the size of the electromagnetic relay may increase. For this reason, in the conventional electromagnetic relay, the permanent magnet is disposed in the space between the electromagnet portion (driving device) and the contact device, thereby suppressing an increase in the size of the electromagnetic relay. In this case, since the permanent magnet is disposed on the armature of the electromagnet portion (driving device), the magnetic flux from the permanent magnet affects the magnetic circuit of the electromagnet portion (driving device), and it is difficult to suitably design the electromagnet circuit.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic relay that can achieve miniaturization even when using a permanent magnet and can reduce the influence of the permanent magnet on a driving device.

[0007] An electromagnetic relay according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a contact device, a drive device, a magnet section, and an insulating section. The contact device connects and disconnects an electrical circuit. The drive device has a coil for driving the contact device and a first yoke section for collecting the magnetic flux of the coil. The magnet section has a permanent magnet disposed between the contact device and the coil that extinguishes the arc generated when the electrical circuit is disconnected by stretching it, and a second yoke section that is located on the drive device side of the permanent magnet and is provided separately from the drive device. The insulating section is disposed between the contact device and the permanent magnet.

[0008] In this electromagnetic relay, the permanent magnet is positioned between the contact device and the coil, enabling miniaturization of the electromagnetic relay. Furthermore, since the second yoke is provided separately from the drive device, the influence of the permanent magnet on the drive device can be reduced. In addition, since the insulating part is positioned between the contact device and the permanent magnet, arcs acting on the permanent magnet can be prevented by the insulating part.

[0009] The electromagnetic relay may be configured as follows: The contact device, the magnet section, and the drive device are arranged in a unidirectional manner. The permanent magnets are arranged so as not to overlap with the coil in a direction perpendicular to the unidirectional manner.

[0010] In this configuration, the electromagnetic relay can be designed so that the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet does not affect the coil.

[0011] The electromagnetic relay may be configured as follows: The permanent magnet includes at least two permanent magnets. A second yoke is positioned between the at least two permanent magnets and the drive unit.

[0012] In this configuration, at least two permanent magnets can be used to suitably set the magnetic field of the permanent magnets acting on the contact device.

[0013] The electromagnetic relay may be configured as follows: The second yoke portion has a recess provided so as to face the outer surface of the coil.

[0014] In this configuration, by providing the recess facing the outer surface of the coil, the length of the electromagnetic relay can be shortened in the direction in which the contact device, magnet section, and drive device are aligned.

[0015] The electromagnetic relay may be configured as follows: The second yoke portion has a protrusion that extends from the coil toward the contact device between at least two permanent magnets.

[0016] In this configuration, the second yoke can be positioned appropriately with respect to the permanent magnet.

[0017] The electromagnetic relay may be configured as follows: The second yoke portion includes a first yoke positioned between the coil and the permanent magnet, and at least one second yoke positioned around the contact device.

[0018] This configuration allows for more effective blocking of the magnetic flux from the permanent magnet towards the coil. Furthermore, it allows for the concentration of the arc flux around the contact device. Additionally, it reduces the influence of the external magnetic field on the arc flux.

[0019] The electromagnetic relay may be configured as follows: The first yoke and at least one second yoke are formed integrally with each other.

[0020] This configuration allows for more effective blocking of the magnetic flux from the permanent magnet towards the coil. Furthermore, it allows for the effective concentration of the arc flux around the contact device. Additionally, it effectively reduces the influence of the external magnetic field on the arc flux.

[0021] The electromagnetic relay may be configured as follows: The insulating part has a first insulating part positioned between the contact device and the permanent magnet.

[0022] In this configuration, the first insulating section prevents arcing that acts on the permanent magnet.

[0023] The electromagnetic relay may be configured as follows: The insulating portion has at least one second insulating portion that surrounds the contact device at a position different from that of the first insulating portion.

[0024] In this configuration, at least one second insulating element can prevent arcing acting on the permanent magnet.

[0025] The electromagnetic relay may be configured as follows: The electromagnetic relay further comprises a movable member, which is moved by a drive device. The drive device further comprises a rocking member, which is supported so as to be rockable with respect to a yoke. The contact device comprises a fixed terminal and a movable contact piece positioned opposite the fixed terminal. The movable member is moved by the rocking member and presses against the movable contact piece.

[0026] In this configuration, the movable member is moved by the oscillation of the oscillating member, and the movable member presses against the movable contact piece. As a result, the movable contact piece comes into contact with the fixed terminal. The above effects can be obtained even when the electromagnetic relay is configured in this way.

[0027] According to the present invention, even when using permanent magnets in an electromagnetic relay, miniaturization can be achieved, and the influence of the permanent magnets on the drive device can be reduced.

[0028] This is a perspective view of an electromagnetic relay. This is a perspective view of the electromagnetic relay in Figure 1, excluding the case and insulating member. This is a cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic relay cut in the left-right direction. This is a cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic relay cut in the left-right direction. This is a cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic relay in the front-back direction. This is a cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic relay to illustrate modified example (A). This is a cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic relay to illustrate modified example (B). This is a cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic relay to illustrate modified example (C). This is a cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic relay to illustrate modified example (D).

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electromagnetic relay 1 according to one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the reference to the drawings, the directions indicated by arrows X1 and X2 are described as the front-back direction (an example of orthogonal directions), the directions indicated by arrows Y1 and Y2 are described as the left-right direction (an example of orthogonal directions), and the directions indicated by arrows Z1 and Z2 are described as the up-down direction (an example of a single direction).

[0030] Furthermore, the direction indicated by arrow X1 will be described as forward, the direction indicated by arrow X2 as backward, the direction indicated by arrow Y1 as left, the direction indicated by arrow Y2 as right, the direction indicated by arrow Z1 as upward, and the direction indicated by arrow Z2 as downward. These directions are defined for the sake of explanation and do not limit the orientation of the electromagnetic relay 1.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electromagnetic relay 1 comprises a case 2, an insulating member 3 (an example of an insulating section, an example of a first insulating section), a contact device 4, a drive device 5, a movable member 6, and a magnet part 7. In Figure 2, the case 2 and the insulating member 3 are omitted.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, case 2 is made of an insulating material such as resin. Case 2 has a first case 21 and a second case 22. The first case 21 is formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular box with an opening at the bottom. The first case 21 is positioned above the insulating member 3. The first case 21 is attached to the insulating member 3 by, for example, a snap fit.

[0033] The second case 22 is formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular box with an opening at the top. The second case 22 is positioned below the first case 21. The second case 22 is positioned below the insulating member 3. The second case 22 is attached to the insulating member 3, for example, by a snap fit.

[0034] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the insulating member 3 is made of an insulating material such as resin. The insulating member 3 divides the internal space of the case 2 into an internal space where the drive device 5 is located and an internal space where the contact device 4 is located.

[0035] The insulating member 3 is positioned between the contact device 4 and the drive device 5. The insulating member 3 insulates the contact device 4 from the drive device 5. More specifically, the insulating member 3 is positioned between the contact device 4 and the magnet unit 7, insulating the contact device 4 from the magnet unit 7. More specifically, it is positioned between the contact device 4 and the permanent magnet 71 (described later) of the magnet unit 7, insulating the contact device 4 from the permanent magnet 71 of the magnet unit 7.

[0036] The internal space in which the drive device 5 is located is formed by the internal space of the first case 21 and the insulating member 3. The internal space in which the contact device 4 is located is formed by the internal space of the second case 22 and the insulating member 3.

[0037] The contact device 4 is arranged in the internal space formed by the second case 22 and the insulating member 3. The contact device 4 connects and disconnects the electrical circuit. The contact device 4 includes at least one contact set 10. In this embodiment, the contact device 4 includes one contact set 10. The contact device 4 may include a plurality of contact sets 10. In this case, the plurality of contact sets 10 are arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction.

[0038] The contact assembly 10 includes a first fixed terminal 11, a second fixed terminal 12, a movable contact piece 13, and a contact spring 14. The first fixed terminal 11 is a plate-shaped terminal made of a conductive material. The first fixed terminal 11 is supported by the second case 22. The first fixed terminal 11 is, for example, press-fitted and fixed into the second case 22.

[0039] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the first fixed terminal 11 includes a first fixed contact 11a and a first external connection portion 11b. The first fixed contact 11a is located on the front surface of the first fixed terminal 11. The first external connection portion 11b protrudes downward from the second case 22.

[0040] The second fixing terminal 12 is a plate-shaped terminal made of a conductive material. The second fixing terminal 12 is supported by the second case 22. The second fixing terminal 12 is, for example, press-fitted and fixed to the second case 22.

[0041] The second fixed terminal 12 is positioned at a distance from the first fixed terminal 11 in the left-right direction. The second fixed terminal 12 includes a second fixed contact 12a and a second external connection portion 12b. The second fixed contact 12a is positioned on the front surface of the second fixed terminal 12. The second external connection portion 12b protrudes downward from the second case 22.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the movable contact piece 13 is a plate-shaped terminal and is formed of a conductive material. The movable contact piece 13 extends in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the movable contact piece 13 is disposed in front of the first fixed contact 11a and the second fixed contact 12a. The movable contact piece 13 is disposed to face the first fixed contact 11a and the second fixed contact 12a in the front-rear direction. The movable contact piece 13 is connected to the movable member 6 via a contact spring 14 in the front-rear direction. The movable contact piece 13 is disposed to be relatively movable with respect to the movable member 6 in the front-rear direction.

[0043] The movable contact piece 13 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction. The movable contact piece 13 is configured to be movable in a contact direction toward the first fixed terminal 11 and a separation direction opposite to the contact direction. In the present embodiment, the contact direction corresponds to the rearward direction, and the separation direction corresponds to the forward direction.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the movable contact piece 13 is provided on the movable member 6. The movable contact piece 13 has a first movable contact 13a and a second movable contact 13b. The first movable contact 13a faces the first fixed contact 11a in the front-rear direction. The first movable contact 13a contacts or separates from the first fixed contact 11a according to the movement of the movable member 6.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5, the second movable contact 13b faces the second fixed contact 12a in the front-rear direction. The second movable contact 13b contacts or separates from the second fixed contact 12a according to the movement of the movable member 6. The contact spring 14 biases the movable contact piece 13 in the contact direction. The contact spring 14 is positioned on the movable contact piece 13.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the drive device 5 is disposed in an internal space formed by the insulating member 3 and the first case 21. The drive device 5 is disposed above the contact device 4 and the movable member 6. The drive device 5 is placed on the upper portion of the insulating member 3. The drive device 5 moves the movable contact piece 13 of the contact set 10 in the front-rear direction via the movable member 6. In the present embodiment, the drive device 5 generates an electromagnetic force such that the movable member 6 moves in the contact direction.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the drive device 5 includes a coil 51, a bobbin 52, a fixed core 53, a yoke 54, a movable iron piece 55 (see FIG. 5; an example of a swing member), and a hinge spring 56. The coil 51 is a drive source for driving the contact device 4.

[0048] The coil 51 is wound around the bobbin 52. The axis of the bobbin 52 extends in the front-rear direction. The fixed core 53 is disposed within the bobbin 52. Both ends of the fixed core 53 in the front-rear direction protrude from the bobbin 52. The yoke 54 collects the magnetic flux of the coil. As shown in FIG. 5, the yoke 54 is shaped like an L. The yoke 54 is disposed above the coil 51 and behind the bobbin 52. The yoke 54 is connected to the rear end of the fixed core 53.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5, the movable iron piece 55 is provided on the yoke 54. Specifically, the movable iron piece 55 is connected to the front end of the yoke 54. The movable iron piece 55 is supported by the yoke 54 via the hinge spring 56 so as to be swingable. The movable iron piece 55 swings with the front end of the yoke 54 as a fulcrum.

[0050] The movable iron piece 55 is disposed in front of the fixed core 53. The lower end of the movable iron piece 55 is connected to the movable member 6. Specifically, the lower end of the movable iron piece 55 is engaged with the hole 63 of the movable member 6. The hinge spring 56 biases the movable iron piece 55 in a direction away from the fixed core 53.

[0051] The movable member 6 is formed of an insulating material such as resin. As shown in FIG. 5, the movable member 6 is moved by the drive device 5. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the movable member 6 extends in the front-rear direction.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the movable member 6 is disposed in an internal space formed by the second case 22 and the insulating member 3. The movable member 6 is disposed below the insulating member 3. The movable member 6 is placed on the bottom of the second case 22.

[0053] As shown in Figure 3, the movable member 6 is positioned between the first fixed terminal 11 and the second fixed terminal 12. As shown in Figure 4, the movable member 6 can press against the movable contact piece 13. The movable member 6 is pressed by the movable iron piece 55 in response to the oscillation of the movable iron piece 55. As a result, the movable member 6 moves in the front-rear direction.

[0054] As shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, the magnet unit 7 is arranged in the vertical direction alongside the contact device 4 and the drive device 5. The magnet unit 7 is also arranged in the vertical direction between the contact device 4 and the drive device 5.

[0055] As shown in Figure 2, the magnet section 7 includes a permanent magnet 71 and a second yoke section 72. The permanent magnet 71 extinguishes the arc generated when the electrical circuit is interrupted. The permanent magnet 71 includes a plurality of permanent magnets 71, for example, two permanent magnets 71. The two permanent magnets 71 are arranged so as not to overlap with the coil 51 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions.

[0056] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the two permanent magnets 71 are mounted on the upper part of the insulating member 3. The two permanent magnets 71 are positioned vertically between the contact device 4 and the coil 51. More specifically, the two permanent magnets 71 are positioned vertically between the contact device 4 and the second yoke portion 72.

[0057] As shown in Figure 5, each of the two permanent magnets 71 extends in the front-rear direction below the coil 51. The two permanent magnets 71 are positioned separately above the first fixed terminal 11 and the second fixed terminal 12. By positioning the magnetic pole surfaces of the two permanent magnets above the first contact (first fixed contact 11a and first movable contact 13a) and the second contact (second fixed contact 12a and second movable contact 13b), an optimal magnetic field can be set for each contact compared to the case with one permanent magnet. Therefore, the direction of arc extension can be set more easily. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the permanent magnet 71 includes two permanent magnets 71, but the permanent magnet 71 may be a single permanent magnet 71. The case in which there is a single permanent magnet 71 will be explained in the modified example (D) described later.

[0058] The second yoke portion 72 blocks the magnetic flux from the permanent magnet 71 toward the coil 51. As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the second yoke portion 72 is positioned on the upper surface of the permanent magnet 71. The second yoke portion 72 is positioned between the coil 51 and the permanent magnet 71 in the vertical direction. The second yoke portion 72 is attached to the movable member 6. More specifically, the second yoke portion 72 is attached to the movable member 6 via the engaging portion 72a shown in Figure 2.

[0059] The operation of the contact device 4, the drive device 5, and the movable member 6 will be described below. When no voltage is applied to the coil 51, the movable member 6 is pressed in the separation direction by the elastic force of the hinge spring 56, and the movable member 6 is in the return position. At this time, in the contact set 10, the first movable contact 13a separates from the first fixed contact 11a, and the second movable contact 13b separates from the second fixed contact 12a.

[0060] When voltage is applied to the coil 51 and the drive unit 5 is energized, the movable iron piece 55 is attracted to the fixed iron core 53 and swings, pressing the movable member 6 in the contact direction. As a result, the movable member 6 moves in the contact direction. As the movable member 6 moves in the contact direction, the movable contact piece 13 of the contact set 10 moves in the contact direction. As a result, in the contact set 10, the first movable contact 13a contacts the first fixed contact 11a, and the second movable contact 13b contacts the second fixed contact 12a. When the voltage application to the coil 51 is stopped, the movable member 6 moves in the separation direction due to the elastic force of the hinge spring 56 and returns to its original position.

[0061] In the electromagnetic relay 1, the permanent magnet 71 is positioned between the contact device 4 and the coil 51, which enables miniaturization of the electromagnetic relay 1. Furthermore, since the second yoke portion 72 is provided separately from the drive device 5, the influence of the permanent magnet 71 on the drive device 5 can be reduced. In addition, since the first insulating member 31 is positioned between the contact device 4 and the permanent magnet 71, the arc acting on the permanent magnet 71 can be prevented by the first insulating member 31.

[0062] In the electromagnetic relay 1, the permanent magnet 71 is positioned so as not to overlap with the movable iron piece 55 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, so the electromagnetic relay 1 can be configured such that the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 71 does not affect the coil 51.

[0063] (Modifications) Although an embodiment of an electromagnetic relay according to one aspect of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0064] (A) As shown in Figure 6, the electromagnetic relay 1 may be configured such that the second yoke portion 72 has a recess 72b. The recess 72b is provided on the upper surface of the second yoke portion 72. The recess 72b is formed in a downward concave shape. The recess 72b extends in the front-rear direction. The recess 72b is provided so as to face the outer surface of the coil 51. In particular, the recess 73b is provided so as to face the lower surface of the coil 51. In this configuration, the height of the electromagnetic relay 1 can be reduced by arranging the coil 51 in the recess 72b. That is, the electromagnetic relay 1 can be miniaturized.

[0065] In this case, a protrusion 72c may be formed on the second yoke portion 72. The protrusion 72c protrudes from the coil 51 toward the contact device 4 between the two permanent magnets 71. The protrusion 72c is positioned between the two permanent magnets 71. In this configuration, since the second yoke portion 72 has a protrusion 72c, the second yoke portion 72 can be suitably positioned relative to the permanent magnets 71.

[0066] (B) As shown in Figure 7, the electromagnetic relay 1 may be configured such that the second yoke portion 72 includes the first yoke 72 and the second yoke 73. The first yoke 72 is positioned between the coil 51 and the permanent magnet 71. The first yoke 72 corresponds to the second yoke portion 72 in the above embodiment.

[0067] In this modified example, the second yoke 73 includes a plurality of second yokes 73. The plurality of second yokes 73 are arranged around the contact device 4. More specifically, the plurality of second yokes 73 are arranged at multiple locations around the contact device 4. In Figure 7, the plurality of second yokes 73 are arranged to the left of the contact device 4 and to the right of the contact device 4.

[0068] The left and right second yokes 73a and 73b are positioned in the second case 22. The first yoke magnet 72 and the left and right second yokes 73a and 73b may be formed integrally with each other.

[0069] In this modified configuration, the magnetic flux from the permanent magnet 71 toward the coil 51 can be more effectively blocked. Furthermore, the magnetic flux for the arc can be concentrated around the contact device 4. Additionally, the influence of the external magnetic field on the magnetic flux for the arc can be reduced.

[0070] (C) As shown in Figure 8, the electromagnetic relay 1 may be configured such that the insulating member 3 includes a first insulating member 31 and a second insulating member 32. The first insulating member 31 is positioned between the contact device 4 and the permanent magnet 71 in the vertical direction.

[0071] In this modified example, the second insulating member 32 includes a plurality of second insulating members 32. The plurality of second insulating members 32 are arranged around the contact device 4 at positions different from those of the first insulating member 31. More specifically, the plurality of second insulating members 32 are arranged at multiple locations around the contact device 4. In Figure 8, the plurality of second insulating members 32 are arranged to the left of the contact device 4 and to the right of the contact device 4. The left and right second insulating members 32a and 32b are arranged in the left-right direction between the left and right second yokes 73a and 73b.

[0072] The left and right second insulating members 32a and 32b are provided on the first insulating member 31. In this modified example, the left and right second insulating members 32a and 32b are integrally formed with the first insulating member 31. The left and right second insulating members 32a and 32b may be formed separately from the first insulating member 31.

[0073] In this configuration, the first insulating member 31 and the second insulating member 32 can more effectively extinguish the arc directed toward the permanent magnet 71.

[0074] (D) As shown in Figure 9, the electromagnetic relay 1 may be configured such that the permanent magnet 71 is a single permanent magnet. The configuration of the electromagnetic relay 1 in Figure 9 is the same as in the above embodiment, except for the number of permanent magnets 71. For this reason, in Figure 9, the components excluding the permanent magnet 71 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the above embodiment, and the description of the components excluding the permanent magnet 71 is omitted. The description of the components omitted here is the same as in the description of the above embodiment.

[0075] As shown in Figure 9, the permanent magnet 71 is a plate-shaped magnet that extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. In this case, depending on the direction of current flow, the arc extends inward (between the first fixed terminal 11 and the second fixed terminal 12), thus adding polarity to the interruption performance. In this way, when one permanent magnet 71 is used, the volume of the permanent magnet 71 can be increased compared to when two permanent magnets 71 are used as in the above embodiment, and thus a larger magnetic flux can be secured.

[0076] 1 Electromagnetic relay 3 Insulating member 4 Contact device 5 Drive device 6 Movable member 7 Magnet part 11 First fixed terminal 12 Second fixed terminal 13 Movable contact piece 31 First insulating member 32 Second insulating member 51 Coil 54 Yoke 55 Movable iron piece 71 Permanent magnet 72 Second yoke part, first yoke 72b Recess 72c Protrusion 73 Second yoke

Claims

1. An electromagnetic relay comprising: a contact device for connecting and disconnecting an electrical circuit; a drive device having a coil for driving the contact device and a first yoke for collecting the magnetic flux of the coil; a magnet section having a permanent magnet disposed between the contact device and the coil for extinguishing the arc generated when the electrical circuit is disconnected by stretching it, and a second yoke section disposed on the drive device side of the permanent magnet and provided separately from the drive device; and an insulating section disposed between the contact device and the permanent magnet.

2. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein the contact device, the magnet section, and the drive device are arranged in a line in one direction, and the permanent magnet is arranged so as not to overlap with the coil in a direction perpendicular to the one direction.

3. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet comprises at least two permanent magnets, and the second yoke portion is disposed between the at least two permanent magnets and the drive device.

4. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 3, wherein the second yoke portion has a recess provided so as to face the outer surface of the coil.

5. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 4, wherein the second yoke portion has a protrusion projecting from the coil toward the contact device between the at least two permanent magnets.

6. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein the second yoke portion includes a first yoke positioned closer to the drive device than the permanent magnet, and at least one second yoke positioned around the contact device.

7. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 6, wherein the first yoke and at least one second yoke are integrally formed with respect to each other.

8. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, wherein the insulating portion comprises a first insulating portion disposed between the contact device and the permanent magnet.

9. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 8, wherein the insulating portion has at least one second insulating portion that surrounds the contact device at a position different from that of the first insulating portion.

10. An electromagnetic relay according to claim 1, further comprising: a movable member moved by the drive device, the drive device further comprising: a rocking member supported so as to be rockable with respect to the first yoke portion, the contact device comprising: a fixed terminal and a movable contact piece positioned opposite the fixed terminal, the movable member being moved by the rocking member and pressing against the movable contact piece.

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